Quick Facts

Specialty: Para Alpine Skiing (Sitting) — LW12-2 Classification
Former nationally ranked USASA snowboarder
Bilateral above-knee amputee due to Compartment Syndrome
Hobbies include snowboarding, outdoor recreation, mentoring adaptive athletes and crafting prosthetics

Biographical Information

Growing up in Huntington Beach, California, Matthew Brewer was very athletic, enjoying surfing, skateboarding, BMX biking and snowboarding. He was a competitive snowboarder who reached national ranking in the United States of America Snowboard and Freeski Association (USASA) in the late 1990s. However, in 2008, Brewer was diagnosed with testicular cancer. He faced surgery, chemotherapy, daily nausea and extreme pain. He also developed Compartment Syndrome in his legs, a condition in which pressure builds within a closed muscle compartment, cutting off blood supply. The damage was severe enough to require amputation of both legs above the knee.

The process of adaptation was gradual. A pivotal moment came when Brewer attended a camp specifically designed for bilateral above-knee amputees and met Paralympian Stephani Victor. Victor's account of her own Paralympic journey struck him as something real and achievable. Her invitation to learn to ski on a sit-ski set a new course. He initially moved to Park City to try adaptive snowboarding but found his true passion in monoskiing. Brewer applied for a Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) grant to help offset the cost of specialized sit-ski equipment, relocated to Utah, and enrolled with the National Ability Center's High Performance Team in Park City. He began building his ski racing career from the bottom.

His commitment and character within the program earned him the National Ability Center High Performance Team Sportsman of the Year award for the 2020–21 season. On the Nor-Am circuit that same season, he finished 5th in slalom and 6th in giant slalom. Brewer made his Paralympic debut at the Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, finishing 12th in slalom and 25th in giant slalom in the sitting division. He continued his international development at the 2023 FIS Para Alpine Skiing World Championships, where he posted 9th place in alpine combined and returned in 2025 to finish 15th in slalom and 17th in giant slalom.

Beyond racing, Brewer has dedicated himself to expanding opportunities for adaptive athletes. He mentors new monoskiers, volunteers extensively with the Amputee Coalition, works part-time at Hanger Clinic and travels for speaking engagements at hospitals and events.

Paralympic Experience

1-time Paralympian
- Paralympic Games Beijing 2022, 12th (Slalom - Sitting - Men), 25th (Giant Slalom - Sitting - Men)

World Championships Experience

Most recent: 2025 – 15th (Slalom - Sitting - Men), 17th (Giant Slalom - Sitting - Men)
Years of participation: Giant Slalom - Sitting - Men 2023, 2025; Slalom - Sitting - Men 2023, 2025; Downhill - Sitting - Men 2023; Super Combined - Sitting - Men 2023; Super-G - Sitting - Men 2023
Top finish: – 2023 (Slalom - Sitting - Men)

Education

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